Fire-escape



INVBNTOR ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.)

- A. M. JEFFBRS.

PIRE ESCAPE.

Patented Jan. 1.2, 18.86.

WITNESSES Aram* Brien.

ANNIE M. JEFFERS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.A

FI RE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 334,230, dated January 12, 1886.

Application tiled November 5, ISES. Serial No. 181,923. (No model.) Y

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ANNIE M. Jnrrnns, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Escape, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple and effective apparatus for attachment to a building to facilitate escape of the inmates in ease of lire.

The invention consists in a spiral structure ranging along the windows of a building and containing a ladder, and being stretched or opened opposite the windows, or the ends of platforms secured thereat, and provided with safety-chains at said openings,and provided also with an alarm-bell, all as hereinafter fully described and claimed. g

Reference is to be had tothe accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the gures.

Figure-l is a front view of part of a building with my improved fireescape erected thereon. Fig. 2 is acentral vertical sectional elevation of the fire-escape, and a vertical section of part of the wall of the building; and Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating how the spiral structure and ladder of the fire-escape may be extended around the eaves of a building to its roof.

The letter A indicates a spiral structure made of a rod or bar-or it may be a wire rope-and in the open coil form shown clearly in the drawings. Vithin this spiral structure A is placed the ladder B, which also is made preferably of metal, and it may be with parallel side parts, b b, made of wire rope and connected by rods b', which form the rounds of the ladder. The spiral structure A, and also the ladder B within it, are held to the wall C of the building by the eyebolts D, so that the parts A B range up and down the building alongside of the windows E of its several stories or floors.

At each ofthe upper stories of the building, at or below the window E, I provide a platform, F, which may have any approved construction, and will have a balustrade or handrailing, f. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the platform F at the upper floor of the building extends over the top of the spiral structure A and hasasuitable opening thereto, and at each of the lower floors to the second story the spiral will be drawn open or its strands or coils stretched apart directly opposite or alongside of the ends of the platforms F of said lower floors to provide a space, G, sufficiently wide to allow persons to pass through the spiral to and from said platforms, which extend quite to the center of the spiral structure A, as shown in Fig. I.

To the parts or coils a a of the structure A above and below the open spaces G of the spiral are connected loosely a number of chains, II, preferably four, said chains serving to close the spaces G, except when the iire-eseape is to be used, at which time the chains may readily be slid together, or to one side, to allow persons to pass to and from the spiral structure A through space G to or from the adjacent platform F. A bell, I, is hung by elastic connection or otherwise to the spiral structure A, about at the center of said structure, which is somewhat flexible or springy and yielding, so that the bell will be rung by persons using the ladder B, as their weight will shake the structure A, to which the bell is attached; hence the bell will serve not only to indicate the location of the lire-escape to the inmates of the building, but will serve also to notify them of the presence of burglars or other unauthorized persons who may attempt to use the ladder B to enter the building. The lower end of the ladder may reach quite to the ground J, or some little distance below the lower end of the spiral structure A, as shown; but, if desired, the lower end ofthe ladder may be turned upward and fastened to the spiral A by any connection which may readily be loosened in case of lire.

It is evident that the spiral structure A and the ladder B therein may be used without the platforms F at the windows, the spiral A in this case running some distance above the sill of the upper window, and being stretched or opened thercat, as at G, to allow persons to enter it to the ladder directly from the windows at every floor; but the use of the platforms F is preferred, as they give greater safety to timid persons. Y n

In Fig. 3 is shown how the spiral structure A and the ladder B may be extended to and bent around the eaves J of the building and ICO be fastened thereat by eyebolts l), so as to allow the escape of persons down the ladder and spiral structure from the roof ot' the building.

A stationary water or hose pipe (not shown) may, if desired, be xed to the wall of the building between the spiral structure A and the windows E of the several floors, and may have nozzles arranged in any approved way, allowing connection of hose to be ru'n in through the windows to any door, as required.

Having thus 'fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A fire-escape comprising a spiral structure, A, and a ladder, B, arranged therein and secured to a building, substantially as herein set forth.

2. A fire-escape comprising a spiral structu re,A, and a-ladder, B, arranged therein alongside of the windows of the building, and said spiral structure being stretched or opened at the windows to provide spaces, as at G, for eutrance and exit of persons to and from the ladder, substantially as herein set forth.

3. A fire-escape comprising a spiral structure, A, and aladder, B, arranged therein and extended to and around the eaves of a building to its roof, substantially as herein set forth.

4. A lire-escape comprising aspiral structure, A, and aladder, B, arranged therein alongside of the windows of a building, and extended around the eaves to the roof, and said spiral structure being stretched or opened at the windows to provide spaces, as at G, for entrance and exit of persons to and from the ladder, substantially as herein set forth.

5.. In are-escape comprising aspiral structure, A, and a ladder, B, arranged therein, and said spiral being stretched or opened to provide spaces at G, substantially as specified, the combination, with the spiral at the spaces, of the slip-chains II, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

6. A fire-escape comprising a spiral structure, A, and a ladder, B, arranged therein and secured to a building alongside of the windows, and said spiral being stretched or opened to provide spaces at G, substantially as speciiied, and platforms, as at F, extending from the windows to the spiral structure, substantially as herein set forth.

7. In aireescape comprisinga spiral structure, A, and a ladder, B, arranged therein and secured to a building, substantially as specified, the combination, with the spiral, of an alarm-bell, as at I, substantially as herein set forth.

ANNIE M. JEFFERS.

Vitnesses:

E. J oHNsoN, Trios. F. DoUGHnR'rY. 

